


From a Letter to a Kiss

by Bumping_Bees



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alpha Draco Malfoy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Background Relationships, Facebook: Hermione's Nook, Fluff, Getting Together, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Hermione/Ron/Pansy, Omega Harry Potter, Pansy is trans, Romance, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumping_Bees/pseuds/Bumping_Bees
Summary: After being taught the Lovebird-To-Love-Note spell, Harry finally learns who his alpha is. If only Draco wasn't so closed off and avoiding him.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 19
Kudos: 252
Collections: Drarry 💜, Hermione's Nook Lovebirds Fest





	From a Letter to a Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to [Starryar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starryar/pseuds/Starryar) and [Noxsoulmate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxsoulmate) for alpha/beta reading this fic so quickly. They're both amazing writers and I highly recommend their work. Noxsoulmate also made the aesthetic for this fic. Credit for the title goes entirely to my kid sister who is probably an angel... except when she does a demon laugh.
> 
> Also it's my pleasure to say noxsoulmate really kicks my ass when she alphas for me. She never lets me settle for half assing a project and I am so grateful for it. 
> 
> Prompt from Hermione’s Nook (Facebook group): Minerva McGonagall decided to teach her students of fifth year and above the 'Lovebirds to Love-note' spell as part of the school's Valentine's Celebrations.
> 
> The incantation: 'Cor Meum Revelare' (reveal my heart)
> 
> The effect: in canon (Hogwarts Mystery) the lovebirds transforms into a love-note revealing your feelings about your crush. It may not specifically specify the person itself--although it can--but it will write a love-note to that person with your feelings, which you can then do with as you wish.
> 
> However, we will leave the note itself up to your own interpretation. It could be the canon crush, or your characters deepest romantic desire, it could even reveal the name of their soulmate however you want to interpret this is fine so long as it leads to love and Happy Ever Afters. 🥰🥰

_Free your fated mate._

Harry stared at the note his lovebird had turned into, his brows furrowed. The true feelings from deep in his heart were telling him to _free someone?_ His fated mate, no less. How was he supposed to do that? He didn't even know who… oh, who was he trying to kid? He had an idea of who it was, even if he wasn't entirely sure.

As an omega, he was supposed to be able to sense his mate, but could he really trust his instincts? He knew who he loved, who he _wanted_ his mate to be, sure. But… he had never fully sensed it from said alpha. Maybe it was because they were all on suppressants… or maybe it was because ever since the summer, Draco took care to never be around Harry… ever since they had presented… 

"What are you looking like that for?" Ron asked, pulling him from his thoughts. 

"I don't know who my fated mate is, but apparently I want to free them?" Harry pushed his fingers through his hair. 

Hermione leaned forward from Ron's other side. "Did you try sniffing the note? Professor McGonagall said that some of us might be able to pick up scents." 

"Oh, right. I forgot about that."

Harry lifted the parchment to his nose and inhaled deeply. A scent like apple pie and broom polish filled his senses. It was a scent that he was familiar with - but only since eighth year, which meant it couldn’t be any Gryffindor. More precisely, he knew he smelled it every morning in the bathroom. No matter how early Harry woke up, someone had always been in there before him, leaving steam and that peculiar aroma behind. 

"I think… it's one of the eighth year boys," he mumbled, pressing his nose closer to that scent. 

All the eighth year students were sharing a tower, regardless of their house. Unfortunately, Harry hadn't gotten close enough to any alphas to scent them. All students were ordered to use suppressants once they had presented, so close proximity was needed to pick up their flavour. Which was certainly a reason why the bathroom was the only place where he had ever scented this delicious mix.

The scent of his fated mate.

While they shared bathrooms, the dorms between alphas, betas, and omegas were still divided. Since Pan, Harry, and Michael were the only omega boys, they had a pretty nice space all to themselves - but on the downside, it meant no getting close to any alphas. Especially not one who was actively avoiding him. 

Pan, who had come out as trans and decided to name himself after the Greek god of the wild, was entirely unhelpful when Harry had asked him for advice. He had hit Harry with a pillow and told him to talk to Draco himself (not that Harry had mentioned to him that he was even talking about that _particular_ alpha). Harry had protested, but Pan had told him that he was not a ‘fucking messenger for immature numpties’. Which was rich because Harry had helped _him_ get together with Ron and Hermione last summer while they were fixing up the school. 

So deep in his thoughts and still absentmindedly scenting the note, Harry was pulled back to the present by Hermione’s groan.

"Honestly, Harry, even you can’t be _that_ dense," she criticized him quietly. "It's obviously Draco. You know? The guy you're in love with." 

Ron sniggered into his hand, quickly turning it into a cough when he noticed Harry's indignation. 

"Excuse me, but what the hell?" Harry gaped at the two people he considered his best friends - who were also complete traitors. "That was so rude." 

Why were all his friends automatically thinking of Draco, for magic’s sake?

"The scent belongs to an eighth year boy - one who you think is caged in some way,” Hermione began to explain and Harry could tell that there was a lot more to come. “Since returning to school, Draco has completely shut himself off to everyone except Pan and Blaise. He has been the perfect portrait of reservation and politeness - completely unlike the person he was; as if he's forcing himself to be someone else entirely." 

Hermione paused to take a breath but Harry didn’t dare interrupt her. Neither Ron nor he made that mistake nowadays. 

"Moreover,” she continued, “you are still watching him despite the fact that he has done nothing suspicious. I can see the frustration in your eyes whenever you try to bait him and he ignores you. You want him to stop acting a part, right? That’s obviously what your note means with ‘free your fated mate’. You need to help him stop acting like that. And if all that wasn’t enough argument for you yet,” she added, a hint of a triumphant smirk on her lips as she gave the final blow, “It's not like you can deny you're in love with him because you told us over the holidays while you were drunk." 

Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times, tasting words, but unable to push them out. Hermione wasn't wrong. Ever since Draco had returned to school, he had been putting up a farce. Harry was desperate to get him to show anything real. Anything at all. And he did love him - Merlin knows why. 

"But the scent isn't Draco's," he finally protested weakly. "Draco smells like iron." 

"You mean blood? Because whenever you two have been close enough to smell each other, you are in a fist fight." 

That… was fair. 

"Okay, whatever." Harry rolled his eyes at the two of them. "What did your notes say?"

"They read the same thing. We want to bond with Pan. That is, if he's ready for it." Ron nodded to where Pan was sitting next to Draco, fiddling with his note and chatting with the alpha. 

"I'm not surprised. You guys have been hinting at it for a month. Even _I_ have noticed it." 

"That really is saying something." Hermione laughed. "We'll talk to him soon about it."

Harry sighed and turned his gaze to Draco, who was stroking his lovebird idly. He hadn't even tried to transfigure it yet. The bird was enjoying the attention, cooing and pressing into Draco’s touch. An irrational jealousy filled Harry. 

With a start, he shook his head and stood up, holding his note. 

"I'm going back to the dorms. I need to study for our Charms exam tomorrow. See you at dinner." 

It was the only excuse he could think of that Hermione wouldn't argue with. As he left, Draco looked at him impassively and Harry couldn't help the little flutter his heart did when their eyes met. 

Why did McGonagall have to teach them this spell? Just because it was Valentine's day? He would have been quite happy pretending he had no fated mate at all rather than knowing his fated mate hated him. 

Draco hadn't talked to him since the trials last summer when Harry had spoken on behalf of him and his mother. Even then, it was just a quiet display of gratitude. 

When he finally reached his dorm, Harry put the note and his glasses on his night stand. Stretching out on his bed, he tried to think of the last time he had even seen Draco outside of class or meals. The alpha was probably avoiding him. 

Groaning, Harry rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. He wondered if Draco knew they were fated mates. If he did, he hadn't even hinted at it - probably because he didn't want to be bonded to him. Maybe that's why he had been avoiding Harry so much. 

Needing to breathe so he could sigh forlornly, Harry turned his face to the side. Right then, the door opened. Harry steadfastly ignored it, pretending to be asleep. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Footsteps approached his bed and when they reached him, the person sat down. Curtains rustled as they closed around them. 

"I know you're not sleeping, Potter, but this conversation will be easier if you keep pretending." The tone in Draco's voice kept Harry still. "Given your reaction to your note, I assume you figured out that we are fated mates. I just want you to know, I don't expect you to do anything. Your fate lies in your own hands. No one would expect you to bond with me. I'm sure plenty of alphas will line up to take my place in a heartbeat."

There was a rustle and something was placed by Harry's arm. A piece of parchment. 

"I just wanted to give you this. It seems my lovebird was overly aggressive about me showing what lies in my heart. You might find it amusing." 

Harry couldn't stand this anymore. Just as Draco was moving to stand up, he caught his arm. A flicker of surprise flashed over Draco’s sharp features. That little display of _something_ besides cold nonchalance made Harry's heart pound. 

"I'm not looking for another alpha," he said, pushing himself up and grabbing his glasses so he could see Draco clearly. "If my fate really does lie in my hands, you can't have any objection if I decide to woo you, right?" 

Harry was in Draco's space now, his chest almost touching his shoulder. The surprise on Draco's face was even more prominent, showing genuine emotion for the first time since the war. Harry couldn't help it: he leaned in, tucking his face into Draco's neck, and inhaled his scent - his real scent, not tinged with the irony flavour of blood - for the first time. It was stronger here than on his love note or when he went to take a morning shower, but it was undeniably the same. 

Apple pie and broom polish. 

It was as if Draco was frozen, but his hand had flown up to Harry's hair. He was gripping it like he didn't know whether to pull Harry away or keep him close. 

"Potter, you need to think this through. I’m a Death Eat-" 

"Barely. You signed up before you could buy liquor. You never killed anyone or committed a crime willingly. You had to be threatened by Voldemort first." Harry snorted. "You betrayed him twice for me. Besides, the war is over."

Draco didn’t say anything to his arguments, but he also didn’t leave. He was still there, so hesitantly, Harry dared to ask, "If you don't hate me - which I don't sense coming off you - then why have you been avoiding me? Why the stoic act?” Shyly, he added, “I've been... worried about you." 

"I didn't mean to worry you," Draco said, his voice unsure. "I just need to be on perfect behavior. One little slip will be enough to send me to Azkaban, even with the testimony of the Boy Who Lived Twice. I'm trying to keep a low profile and be a model student. Before today… before McGonagall’s _brilliant_ idea for a Valentine’s surprise,” he clarified with a sneer and heavy sarcasm in his voice. “Before all that, I've been avoiding you so you don't catch my scent and think you have to be with me out of some weird hero complex or obligation. But then McGonagall had to go and ruin it all. I only came because I could smell your distress as you left class. Pan kind of kicked me into gear too." 

"I wouldn't choose you as my mate for either of those reasons. Why would you think that?" Harry asked as Draco's free hand settled on Harry's hip, nervously fluttering as if he wasn't sure it was okay to touch. 

"Seriously? No one would send _your_ mate to Azkaban; no one would put _you_ through the pain of separation." Draco did tug Harry back then, looking down at him with quizzical grey eyes. "You're so eager to save everyone, but I didn't want to be saved that way. I figured if I stayed away, you would never be the wiser and would find someone else." 

"I think you give me too much credit," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't bond with anyone to save them from Azkaban. I'm not that selfless.” Harry forcibly kept his gaze on Draco's eyes, not letting it drop to his mouth like he wanted. “But I could be persuaded to bond for other reasons." 

"What reasons might those be?" It was Draco who broke eye contact, his gaze falling to Harry's lips. 

"If my fated mate and I got along. If we both wanted it. If it was for love," Harry whispered, leaning forward slightly. 

Draco's hand in his hair tightened. "I swear if you are pulling my leg, I will-" 

Harry, satisfied that Draco really did want him - he wasn't _that_ oblivious - silenced him with a clumsy kiss. Time seemed to still, along with Draco, who was like a statue for a moment, but then he was kissing Harry eagerly and just as clumsily. 

This would work. Harry was sure of it. Kissing Draco was like breathing, natural and life giving. There would be bumps - there always were. But if they tried… if they had already come so far… 

Harry tilted his head to the side as Draco's mouth left his to kiss down his neck. He sucked the spot where the bonding mark would be, worrying the skin between his teeth. Harry climbed into his lap, his arms winding around Draco’s shoulders. 

The note Draco had placed beside Harry fell to the floor, jostled by Harry's sudden movement. It smelled of sage in the rain and held ten simple words: _Tell your fated mate how you feel, you fucking numpty._

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this story consider leaving a comment. I love it when people say hi ♡♡♡


End file.
